WOODSTOCK – New York Times bestselling author Karen White will be at the FoxTale Book Shoppe in Woodstock for a launch party for her newest novel “After the Rain” on Jan. 8

White reached out to the Woodstock venue for the party.

“Our relationship goes back so far,” White said. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for these wonderful, independent bookstores like FoxTale."

Ellen Ward, co-owner of the FoxTale Book Shoppe, said she is thrilled to have White hold her party at her store.

“It's an honor and a privilege to host any author event,” Ward said. “But it's particularly special to see those early sales catapult an author like Karen White to the New York Times Bestseller list.”

White noted that her inspiration from writing comes from everywhere - life, the past, news, documentaries, people - and

“When I started writing,” she said, “I hoped to write stories that once you start, you can't put them down.”

“After the Rain” is a follow-up to White’s novel “Falling Home,” which was originally published in 2002 but rereleased in 2010, but it wasn't always in her plans to write it.

“I really had no intentions of writing a sequel,” White said. “I was eight chapters into writing a different book when my publishing company told me they wanted a sequel to 'Falling Home.'”

White noted that she was resentful at first, but ended up falling in love with the story, seeing how the characters progressed.

The novel follows the life of Suzanne Parris, a freelance photographer is who trying to keep a low profile in the small southern town of Walton.

White noted that small towns have been a big inspiration for her.

"I lived all over … but those small towns were where I visited every summer," she said.

This is not the first launch party the Woodstock book store has held for White; in 2008, the FoxTale held a party for the release of White’s novel “The House on Tradd Street.”

“We were accustomed to having book signings at FoxTale, but a party to commemorate the ‘birth’ of a novel was unique and appealed to our sense of fun,” Ward said. “Since that time, our bookstore has become a popular place for authors to ‘launch’ new books.”

Ward said she is expecting about 75 people to attend the party, but also noted that White has been known to draw more than 100 people to her book signings.

“There will be refreshments, and there is usually a gift basket that's raffled off, benefiting a charity of Karen White's choice,” Ward said. “At previous events for Karen, we've had a fortune teller, a ‘best beach hat’ contest, and customers have been chosen to have a character named for them in a future Karen White novel.”

White is in the process of writing her sixteenth novel, her first hardcover, titled "The Time Between" which is set to release in June; the novel takes place in Edisto Island, S.C., and has a connection to World War II Hungary.

To find out more about Karen White and any of her novels, visit her website at www.karen-white.com

The FoxTale Book Shoppe is located at 105 East Main Street, Woodstock; the launch party is set to start at 6:30 pm.

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